Tips for using color in your home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • August 6, 2022

Color. It’s the tricky part of home decorating.

Too much of it and your home can look like the circus is in town. Too little of it and you end up with blah rooms that have no personality. We don’t want to be boring.

The trick is to get it just right.

Home office in above photo follows the three color rule: walls in Nimbus Gray, matte; barn doors in Storm, advance interior satin; and trim in Pure White, pearl. Photo: Benjamin Moore

As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, two truths guided me when I began my business 20 years ago and continue to drive my design today. First, you don’t have to be rich to have a beautiful home. And second, no matter what your budget, color is the most important part of your design plan. It sets the tone for everything else.

A few color facts

• Color will change how you feel about your home.

• Color is powerful. A refreshed color plan in your home will take it from blah to WOW.

• Everyone has a color palette. You just need to find one that inspires you.

• The 60-30-10 rule works. This classic decor rule that helps create a color palette for a space, states that 60 percent of the room should be a dominant color, 30 percent should be the secondary color or texture and the last 10 percent should be an accent. But remember: rules are made to be broken.

So many ways to color your home

• You don’t have to put paint color on the walls (necessarily).

White on white with textures and subtle accents, make this a beautiful color choice. Wall in Linen White OC-146, Aura Interior Paint, matte; shelves also in Linen White, advanced interior satin. Photo: Benjamin Moore.

• It’s possible (and very pretty) to have a neutral background and still have a home rich in color. Artwork, rugs, window treatments, upholstery, pillows, trims, lamps/lampshades, chandeliers, countertops, cabinets, books, backsplashes, furniture, the backs of open shelving, wall coverings, furniture, artwork. All opportunities for color.

• Ceilings (especially coffered ceilings) offer places for color with painting an entire room.

• No rule says you must have a brown sofa. Please try a color.

A few ways to use paint color

• One of my goals is to (usually) use no more than three paint colors in the home. This includes a neutral and two additional colors.

• If you have a color palette that you love but are hesitant to use any of the colors on the walls try this: paint a coffered ceiling, molding or trim in the color. With a pretty neutral color and the third color for accessories and the list above, you have a color plan.

Make a splash that radiates summer fun and happiness with Wild Flower 2090-40. Try it in a powder room or accent wall. Photo: Benjamin Moore.

• Note: a paint plan that worked in one home may not work in another. There are many differences to consider. Lighting, size of the home, furnishings, finishes. It’s easy to fall in love with a palette that worked previously but allows for some changes to suit your current home.

Remember these guidelines:

• If you are hesitant about color, remember, less is more.

• Artwork is a great way to create a color palette.

• Pillows, throws, accents, accessories add color that can be changed when you need a refresh.

• In open floor plans, be guided by the architecture to let you know where to start and stop paint color.

• Cohesion is key. We don’t want every room to be a different color. That would be too jarring. But we do want to carry something of our color scheme from room to room. This can be done in large ways or with accents or accessories.

• Link the outdoor spaces to the indoors by using the same color palette.

Create a color plan and take into consideration:

• Where is your home located?

• Do you prefer calm neutrals or dark rich colors?

• How will your plan work with your existing furnishings?

Find your inspiration

As someone who loves color, I keep a fan deck close at hand. I’m constantly saving photos of colors and palettes. And for me, most of those come from nature. Blues, greens, sandy whites and creams. To be honest, there is not a color that I don’t like. Well, maybe beige with lots of yellow undertones. It’s all a matter of finding the right balance.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog